FLOYD COUNTYThis county was laid out from
Cherokee in 1832. The principal streams are the Oostenaula and Etowah, which
unite their waters at Rome, forming the Coosa.

Rome is the county town,
at the junction of the Etowah and Oostenaula rivers, situated upon several high
hills, and commands a fine view of the mountains. Distant from Milledgeville 176
miles.

Rome, in the opinion of Colonel A. J. Pickett, whose researches
into the early history of Georgia and Alabama are highly interesting, occupies
the site of an Indian town formerly called Chiaha. De Soto took up his quarters
in this town in 1540, according to the following statement, which is extracted
from an account of De Soto's travels, written " by a Portugall gentleman of
Eluas emploied in all the action, and translated out of Portugese by Richard
Hacklvyt. 1609." (Transcriber's Note:
Original spellings kept!)

The Gouernour departed from Guaxule, and in two daies
journie came to a towne called Canasagua. There met him on the way twenty
Indians, euery one loaden with a basketful of mulberries; for there be many,
and those very good, from Cutifa-chiqui thither and so forward in other
Provinces, and also nuts and plummes. And the trees grow in the fields without
planting or dressing them, and as big and as rancke as though they grew in
gardens digged and watered.

From the time that the Gouernour departed from
Canaaagua, hee iournied fiue daies through a Desert; and two leagues before he
came to Chiaha, there met him 19 Indians loaden with maiz. which the Cacique
had sent; and they told him on his behalfe that he waited his comming with
twenty barnes full of it: and farther that himselfe, his Countrieand subjects,
and al things els, were at his ser- uice. On the 5 day of June the Gouernour
entred into Chiaha : The Cacique voided his owne houses in which he lodged,
and receiued him with much ioy, saying these words following:—

"
Mightie and excellent Lord, I hold mytelfe for so happie a man in that it hath
pleased your Lordship to vie me, that nothing could have happened vnto mt of
more contentment, nor Oiat I would haue esteemed so much. From Guaxule your
Lord- thip sent vnlo me that I should prepare maiz for you in this towne for
two months. Here I haue for you 20 barnes full of the choicest that in all the
Countrie could be found. If your Lordship bee not entertained by me in such
sort as is fit for so hie a Prince, respect my tender age, which excuseth me
from blame, and receuve my good wil, which with much loyaltie, truth and
sinceritie, I will alwaies shew in anything which shall concerne your
Lordship's seruice."

The Gouernour answered him that he thanked him very
much for his service and offer, and that he would alwaies account him as his
brother.

There was in this towne much butter in gourds, melted like
oile; they said it was the fat of beares. There was found also great store of
oile of walnuts, which was cleare as butter, and of a good taste, and a pot
ful of honie of bees, which neither before nor afterward was seene in all the
Countrie.

The towne was an Island betweene two armes of a River, and
was seated nigh one of them. The Riuer diudeth itselfe into those two
branches, two crosse-bow shot aboue the towne, and meeteth againe a league
beneath the same. The plain betweene both the branches is sometimes one
crosse-bow shot, sometimes two crosse-bow shot ouer. The branches are very
broad, and both of them may be waded ouer. There were along them verie good
meadows, and manie fields sowne with maiz; and because the Indians staied in
their towne, the Gouernour only lodged in the houses of the Cacique, and his
people in the fields: where there was euer a tree euerie one tooke one for
himselfe. Thus the Camp lay separated one from another, and out of order. The
Gouernour winked at it, because the Indians were in peace; and because it was
very hot, and the people should haue suffered great extremitie if it had not
bin so. The horses came thither so weake. that for feeblenesse they were not
able to carrie their masters; because that from Cutifa-chiqui they alwaies
trauelled with verie little prouender, and were hunger statued and tired euer
since they came from the desert of Ocute; and because the most of them were
not in case to vse in battell, though need should require they sent them to
feed in the night a quarter of a league from the Camp. The Christians were
there in great danger, because that if, at this time, the Indians had set upon
them, they had been in euill case to haue defended themselues. The Gouemour
rested there thirtie daies, in which time, because the Countrie was very
fruitful!, the horses grew fat. At the time of his departure, by the
importunitie of some, which would haue more than was reason, nee demanded of
the Cacique 30 women to make slaues of. Hee answered that he would conferre
with his chiefe men. And before hee returned an answere, one night all of
them, with their wiues and children, forsooke the towne and fled away. The
next day, the Gouemour purposing to goe to seeka them, the Cacique came vnto
him, and at his comming vsed these words vnto the Gouemour:

"Mightie
Lord, with shame and feare of your Lordship, because my subiects, against my
will, haue done amisse in absenting themselues, I went my way without your
license; and knowing the errour which I have committed, like a loyall subiect
I come to yeeld myselle into your power, to dispose of mee at your owne
pleasure. For rnv subiecls doe not obey mee, nor doe anything but what an
Vncle of mine commamleth, which gouerneth this Countrie for me, vntill I be of
a perfect age. If your Lordship will pursue them arid execute on them that
which for thoir disobedience they deserue. I will be your guide, since at ihis
present my fortune will not suffer me to performe any more.'1

Presently
the Gouemour with 30 horsemen and as many footemen went to seeke the Indians;
and passing by some townes of the principall Indians which had absented
themselues, hee cut and destroyed great fields of maiz: and went vp the Riuer,
where the Indians were in an Island, where the horsemen could not come at
them. There he sent them word by an Indian to returne to their towne ana leaie
nothing, and that they should si>ue him men to carrie burdens, as al those
behind had donej for he would haue no Indian women, seeing they were so loth
to part with them.

The Indians accepted his request, and came to the
Gonernour to excuse themselues; and so all of them returned to their towne. A
Cacique of a Prouince called Coste came to this towne to visit the Gouernonr.
After hee had offered himselfe, and passed with him some words, of tendring
his seruice and curtesie. the Gouemour asking him whether he had notice of any
rich Countrie, he said yea; to wit, that toward the North there was a Prouince
named Chisca; and there was a melting of copper and of another metall of the
same colour, saup that it was finer and of a farre more perfect colour, and
farre better to the sight: and that they vsed it not so much because it was
softer.

And the selfe-same thing was told the Gouemour in
Cutifa-chiqui: where we saw some little hatchets of copper which were said to
haue a mixture of gold.

But in that part the countrie was not well
peopled, and they said there were mountaines which the horses could not passe;
and for thatcause, the Gouernour would not goe Irom Cutifa-chiqui directly
hither. And hee made account that tranelling through a peopled countrie, when
his men and horses should bee in better plight, and hee were better certified
of the truth of the thing, he would returne toward it by mountaines and a
better inhabited countrie, whereby hee might haue a better passage. He sent
two Christians from CJiiaha, with certaine Indians which knew the countrie of
Cliisca, and the language thereof, to view it, and to make report.

De Soto then broke up his camp, recrossed the Oostenaula,
and marched down the west side of the Coosa, leaving the generous people of
Chiaha well satisfied with presents.

Rome has a number of handsome
private dwellings.

The Etowah House is eligibly situated near the
railroad and steamboat landing, and is conducted by an obliging
gentleman.

At the last session of the Legislature, a town opposite to
Rome was incorporated by the name of De Soto.

Hillsborough is opposite to
Rome.

The town of Cave Springs is in the southern portion of the county,
near the Alabama line.

Source:
"Historical Collections Of Georgia", by George White, 1855Transcribed and
Submitted by Brenda Wiesner